hub bearings?

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Sun Oct 09, 2005 6:45 pm

how often (mileage) have you guys had to replace your hub bearings?

I think my left side front hub is bad again, both sides were replaced around 20000 miles. It seems awful early for the hubs to need replaced, even with wheeling!? At least it isn't as bad as Tricia's Malibu, 10000 miles and we had to have a hub replaced with all road driving... if it needs replaced again next year, it is going bye bye! Damned Chevys...

Anyway, am I going through hubs on the KJ prematurely?

It is growling pretty good, started as an intermitten squeek, but I have not jacked it up to do a wobble test on the wheel hub assembly yet?

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:33 pm

Can you replace just the bearings or do you have to replace the whole assembly like we had to do in my buddys Toyota? Also are they pressed in? I think i have one going south on mine.

skrracing · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2005 7:29 pm

The KJ hub bearing is not press fitted. Remove the 3 retaining bolts after you have you remove the shaft and it will come right off. I am on my second KJ and have not had to reoplace one yet. Had to on the ZJ...Later...Clint

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2005 10:01 pm

Hey clint...

Can you replace just the bearing, not the whole hub?

Aftermarket parts houses do not even list a bearing only, and the dealer I called only came up with the hub assembly.

I really need to jack this up and do a wobble test and see if that is the problem for sure, any other tricks to test it? Anybody?

I have been putting off installing the front of the frankenlift to do all my front end repairs at one time while it is all apart. Currently I am waiting for an A-Arm bushing to come in... If this is bad too, then that is a longer wait I guess.

speleorelic · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:15 am

I was getting some ,,, rumble/vibration,,, (hard to describe),,, thought maybe wheel bearing,, or even drive shaft out of balance. The dealers tech took a ride with me and first thing he said was I gotta check your ball joints. Sure enough,, a ball joint is beginning to fail. They'll replace it for free because of a recall next tuesday,,

They also said my front shocks are shot,, so replacing them with some Ranchos while they have it apart.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:01 am

Will that recall affect the 02 as well?

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:13 am

ok my ball joints have been replaced in 04....So what is the best way to do this wobble test to see if that is my problem?

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:18 pm

well to test your bearings, just jack her up, and try to wobble the wheel up and down, left right etc... should be minimal play if you wobble up and down (grap tire on top and bottom and pull toward you on top push on bottom, then repeat) Sorry if I broke it down too far.

Well, mine seem fine, then a tech told me it could be my diff... uh oh... just did a fluid change, but I checked it and it is real brown almost milky but not quite (not sure if water or dirty inside) but the rear is a clear brown (same color as it was when I put it in. So I guess I will change it on Sunday.

skrracing · **Posted:** Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:45 am

You have to replace the entire hub bearing assy. but really a big deal. it is not just like a small bearing but a large bearing assy thet the front shaft are splined to. Hope that helps. Later...Clint

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:57 pm

well, I looked at everything today, tried to check the bearings, still no wobble no matter how the wheel is... I looked for signs of wobble or wear on the splines of the shaft, nothing... then I looked at the diff and started to curse, then calmed down and rotated the wheels both locker on and off spinning the wheels, no noise, no grind feeling, no metal shavings in the new fluid I put in a week and a half ago... no obviouse signs of damage on the input shaft or to the case.

well by this time the guy at the auto hobby shop is telling me to put her back together and clean up, I look at the front engine/suspension skid and notice that when it is sitting on the floor, the 2 tab mounts on the front of it are not resting on the floor flat... then I look at the center, and it looks bent up pretty good. then I look at where it mounts to the front cross member, and it is pulled down to the rear where the nutzerts are!! I guess I hit it hard on some thing!!!

So I left it off and went home.

The noise is there, but not load and metal sounding anymore... just like tire noise now!
Hopefully that is all it is, but as I was looking for a problem, I did not get to the front of the frankenlift, so I guess maybe Friday if the noise does not come back.

So I guess I will get a new suspension skid this week!

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:05 am

Checked mine this weekend also everything seemed to be fine and there was no play. Rotated my tires took a buddy with me and he thinks it is just normal road noise. We just came to the conclustion that since this is the first time in about 7 years that i have ownd a 4 wd and this is my first IFS one that the noise is normal and i need to quit picking on my poor lil KJ.

hub bearings?

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